Building God's Blueprint on His Authority
Scripture Focus: Acts 3:1–16 — "But Peter said, 'I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!'” (Acts 3:6)
Every house is built on a blueprint.
And when it comes to the Church—the household of God—we don’t need to invent one. God has already given us the design in His Word, and in particular, in the book of Acts. It’s not up to us to make something trendy or new. The call is to build according to His plan.
One of the most critical elements in that blueprint is this: faith in the name of Jesus.
The Authority of His Name
In Acts 3, Peter and John are on their way to the temple for prayer when they encounter a man who’s been lame since birth. Every day, this man is carried to the temple gate to beg. He’s not asking for a miracle—just a bit of money to survive another day.
But Peter doesn’t have money to give. What he does have is far greater: the authority of Jesus’ name.
“I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
—Acts 3:6 (ESV)
Peter reaches out his hand. The man stands. Strength fills his feet. He walks. He leaps. He praises God. A crowd gathers in shock, and Peter is quick to point away from himself and back to Jesus:
“And His name—by faith in His name—has made this man strong whom you see and know...”
—Acts 3:16 (ESV)
It wasn’t Peter’s personality or moral track record that caused this miracle. It was faith in the name of Jesus.
What We Believe Shapes What We See
Jesus doesn't become more powerful when we believe in Him, and He doesn’t weaken when we doubt. He’s already seated “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (Ephesians 1:21). His name is already higher than any other. But our faith shapes how much of that authority we actually walk in.
Believing in His name doesn’t just change our theology—it changes our lives, our city, and our capacity to see the impossible happen.
And here's the key: this authority isn’t reserved for spiritual elites. Peter, the guy who had just recently denied Jesus three times, is the one God uses to bring healing here. The power wasn’t in Peter—it was in the name. And Peter had learned to trust it.
Your failures don’t disqualify you from walking in faith. If anything, they make room for God to show that it’s His power, not yours.
Building the House God Designed
This story doesn't happen in isolation. It flows out of a lifestyle of devotion and connection within the Church.
Earlier in Acts 2, we read about the rhythms of the early believers: gathering in the temple, breaking bread in homes, praying together, living generously. These weren’t just nice habits—they were the groundwork for revival.
Our church life today still follows that pattern. The temple and the table. Sundays together in worship, and homes filled with fellowship, prayer, and real-life transformation.
When we walk in community with expectation, obedience, and surrender, we carry the presence of God into our streets. Just like Peter and John, we start noticing needs—and we realize we have more to give than we thought.
Faith Changes the City
The miracle in Acts 3 shook the city. Not just because a man was healed, but because people saw the power of God on display. They were “filled with wonder and amazement” (Acts 3:10).
This is what faith in the name of Jesus does. It shifts the atmosphere. It breaks through despair. It doesn’t just help people survive—it brings them into wholeness.
“Who you look to in your vulnerability is your Most High.”
If we’re honest, we all look to other authorities sometimes—our finances, our abilities, the approval of others.
But none of these can carry the weight of your life.
Only Jesus can.
Let’s Put Jesus Back Where He Belongs
As a church, we’re not just building a brand. We’re building a house—a spiritual house—with Jesus at the center. And for the house to stand, He has to be the cornerstone. Not just in theory, but in our actual decisions, habits, relationships, and prayers.
Where have we given authority to something other than Jesus?
It’s time to bring Him back to the highest place.
Let’s be a people who live, speak, and pray with faith in the name above all names.
Jesus. The Most High.
Reflection Questions
Where in your life are you still “asking for alms” when Jesus wants to make you whole?
Have you let past failures hold you back from stepping out in faith? What would it look like to believe again?
What would shift in your walk with God if you truly trusted the authority of His name?